- J. Gregory Grisham
- Member
- 80 Monroe Avenue, Suite 800
- Brinkley Plaza
- Memphis,TN 38103
- 901.527.0214 fax: 901.527.8224
Mr. Grisham's practice areas include the defense of employers in discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, wrongful discharge and whistleblower claims. He also advises and defends employers in Wage & Hour matters and lawsuits, unfair labor practice and union representation proceedings before the NLRB.
Mr. Grisham also represents employers in the enforcement of post-employment restrictive covenants such as non-compete, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements and handles general civil litigation, including business disputes and the defense of professional negligence claims and the defense of civil rights claims. Mr. Grisham has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, having represented employers in the arbitration of employment and labor related claims throughout the United States.
Representative Client Work
Representation of employers in state and federal trial and appellate courts and before administrative agencies and arbitrators in 27 states in all aspects of labor and employment law litigation.
Successfully defended a national company in FLSA collective action overtime lawsuits
Successful representation of employers in NLRB union representation elections
Successfully defended a national company in lawsuits brought by the EEOC
Recent Cases:
Clark v. Walgreen Co.,
2011 WL 2023432 (6th Cir. 2011) (per curiam) (Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court's order granting summary judgment in favor of corporate client in an FMLA retaliation lawsuit).
Siggers v. Dixie Fireworks,
Slip Copy, 2010 WL 4791689, W.D.Tenn., November 18, 2010 (NO. 2:10-CV-02360-CGC) (favorable decision for client on motion to transfer venue)
Gibson v. American Apartment Management Co., Inc.,
Slip Copy, 2010 WL 3656038, E.D.Tenn., September 14, 2010 (NO. 3:10-CV-253) (favorable decision for client on motion to dismiss Equal Pay Act claim)
Golden v. Valenti Mid-South Management d/b/a Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers,
Case No. 2:10-cv-2297-dkv (W.D. Tenn. 2011) (summary judgment granted in favor of client in Title VII case)
Professional Affiliations
Society for Human Resources Management
Tennessee Bar Association (Labor and Employment Committee)
Memphis Bar Association (Labor and Employment Committee; Fee Dispute Committee)
The Federalist Society (Co-Chairman, Memphis Lawyers' Chapter, 2000-present and Member of The Executive Committee of the National Labor and Employment Practice Group 2006- , and a leader of The Federalist Society’s Tennessee State Court Project)
The Federal Bar Association, (President Memphis/Mid-South Chapter (2012)) and member of the Federal Bar Association Labor & Employment Section
The Defense Research Institute (Employment Law Committee, Trucking Committee, ADR Committee)
Leo Bearman, Sr. American Inn of Court, Master of the Bench
Community Involvement
Member, Tennessee Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission (2011-2017)
Special Judge, Shelby County General Sessions Civil Court
Member, Tennessee Advisory Committee to United States Commission on Civil Rights (2007 to present) (USCCR South Region Sub-Committee member)
1997 graduate of Leadership Collierville, served as Secretary for the Leadership Collierville Board of Trustees from 1997-2000.
Publications and Lectures
Retaliation Claims and Workplace Investigations: The Implications of Crawford vs. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, The Job Description (DRI -April 2009).
Religion at Work: Balancing the Rights of Employees and Employers, Vol. 42, No. 9 Tennessee Bar Journal (September 2006)
The Dark Side of Fare Wars: The Sixth Circuit Takes a Fresh Look at Predatory Pricing Claims Under Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, Engage, Vol. 8, No. 2 (June 2007)
Defending Claims Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, The Job Description (DRI-June 2008).
Mr. Grisham has also co-authored: The Unanticipated Consequences of Employment at Will: Proving Damages in Restrictive Covenant Enforcement Cases, Engage, Vol. 7, No. 2 (October 2006)
Testing the Waters of Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Claims, Engage, Vol. 8, No. 1 (February 2007)
Title VII Retaliation Claims After White: The Struggle to Define Materially Adverse Conduct in the Context of the Reasonable Employee Standard, Engage, Vol. 10, Issue No. 1 (February 2009).
Upcoming and Recent Seminars:
January 21, 2010- Memphis, TN- "Hot Topics in Employment Law" to the Insurers of Memphis
January 28, 2010- Chattanooga, TN- "Fundamentals of Employment Law" presented by Sterling Education Services
February 16, 2010- Knoxville, TN- "Fundamentals of Employment Law" presented by Sterling Education Services
April 29, 2010- Memphis, TN- "The Fair Housing Act: Avoiding Housing Discrimination Claims" presented by Sterling Education Services
May 13, 2010- Nashville, TN- "Fundamentals of Employment Law" presented by Sterling Education Services
May 25, 2010- Chattanooga, TN- "The Fair Housing Act: Avoiding Housing Discrimination Claims" presented by Sterling Education Services
April 19, 2011- Brentwood, TN- LWDN Labor & Employment Law Seminar
May 19, 2011- Tullahoma, TN- "Labor & Employment Seminar" with Tony Noel for Highland Rim SHRM
July 27, 2011- Chattanooga, TN- "Avoiding Retaliatory Discharge Lawsuits in Workers’ Compensation Settings", Workers’ Compensation Law & Practice Seminar presented by Sterling Education Services
September 20, 2011- Memphis, TN- "Avoiding Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Claims," "Employment Law Best Practices" Seminar presented by Sterling Education Services
December 6, 2011- Chattanooga, TN- "Hiring and Terminating Employees in the Current Economy" presented by Sterling Education Services.
In The News
Mr. Grisham was recently appointed by Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey to the Tennessee Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission for a six-year term ending June 30, 2017.